Taking On Water
by OnlyMoonlight
Summary: What if the Bella we were all introduced to wasn’t the same Bella? Harsh, Jaded, not naive. What if the thing Edward must save her from, is not those of his kind, but he must protect Bella from herself?
1. Prologue Bella

Prologue - Bella

My mom married Phil when I was 11. 5 years of utter hell. I didn't want her marry Phil. Or anybody for that matter. I couldn't see why it couldn't just be us two. It had worked for as long I remembered, even when we moved from Chicago, to New York, to Dallas, then Los Angeles, and finally Phoenix. It was just Renee and me. Everything was good. My crazy mom couldn't settle. She was a free-spirit. How could she have settled down? With Phil Dwyer nonetheless! The most boring guy in Phoenix, or the entire Western Hemisphere, and the way he tried to be my friend. Taking me on their dates, or take us to watch his baseball games and put us in luxury boxes, so I would like him back; fat chance baldy. I had a dad. Not that I had seen him in a while, or really felt the need to, but I didn't need Phil's lame attempts at fatherhood.

"Why don't you try to have your own kids." I muttered one Christmas when he showed me the three gift boxes his mother sent me. Courtesy gifts. Pity gifts. Whatever. Renee grounded me for a month after that, a routine that happened more and more after that. This man moved us from our cool desert bungalow with big windows, to some overly-air conditioned gingerbread house in a gated community across the county. And when I had to change schools because of it, well, that just helped my lashing out. Every attempt Phil made to make us some crazy Nuclear Family, I used as ammunition against him, and Renee. And this was only the first six months into their marriage.

I picked up smoking cigarettes in the 8th grade, sneaking smokes with my friends behind the gym when we skipped class, only because Phil always said smoking was a nasty habit. Funny, Renee was a smoker before she met him, and his ex-wife smoked too. I'd lock myself in my room and sneak out my window at night to hang out. I never did anything the rules of society found particularly acceptable.

Ciggs turned to beers, turned to vodka, turned to pot, turned to pills, turned to coke. My days and nights were blurred in a haze of powders, smoke, pills and people of questionable character. And that's how I ended up here. Sitting in the Police Station, watching my mom sign papers to release me, kind of enjoying the various versions of the lectures I'd surely get. How'd I know that sharing a joint with some dude at a party was going to turn into my being hauled in to the police station. Good thing I wasn't carrying anything other than the joint, not enough to press charges, but enough to be fingerprinted and thrown in the drunk tank for the night. Shitty part was, the narc got me before I was even drunk, so all I could do was be pissed off.

Renee walked past me silently, signaling it was time to go, and we got into the car where Phil sat idly.

"Well that fucking sucked." I huffed in an almost laugh and slung my bag over my shoulder when we parked in our dull driveway.

"Language." Renee followed me into our bland home, following me to my room. I kicked the door open with the toe of my boot and felt a blinding rage when I noticed the state of my room. Not only had it been pillaged, walls stripped of my posters and random paintings I drew when I was bored, but it was clean. My bed made. Window bolted.

"What the fuck Renee?!"

"Bella." She stood at my door, I hoped she wasn't trying to stop me from leaving, cause I wasn't against shoving her out of my way.

"You went through my stuff?"

"Bella." Phil's sunburned face appeared behind my moms shoulder. "Can you please sit?"

"Fuck off Phil." I spit. This was an ambush of the parental type. "I'm out of here."

"Bella." Renee began to plead as I slung my bag over my shoulder and shoved some random stuff from a drawer into my bag. My stash of money, stash of pills, and my notebook.

"God damn it Renee! She's your daughter..." It amused me that I finally got a reaction out of Phil. He never lost his cool. "Just tell her."

"Yeah MOM-" More emphasis on the word "mom" when I finally faced her. She was sandwiched between a fed-up Phil, and her pissed off on-the-verge daughter. "Tell me...what?"

"I called Charlie." Fuck. My dad lived in the same ho-dunk town in Washington where he and my mom were born, where I was born too, only one problem. He was the Police Chief. Shit, he was going to have a field day with this. I thoughtlessly fidgeted with the simple gold ring I wore on my index finger. Mom's wedding band I stole from her dresser. She never wore it anyways. "He wants you to come home."

"I'm am home!" I threw my hands up and twirled in the room, flinging my bag onto the floor. "Call him and tell him your druggie daughter is home. He can go on about his business and maybe so can I."

"No." Phil pushed his way past Renee, coming so close to my face, I could feel his hot breath. His face was red and shiny, I almost laughed at the thought of him losing more hair from the sad bald patch that had settled in the past couple years. My pulse raced at the thought of fighting Phil. I've fought a dude before, I could take Phil, or at least get a couple good licks at him. "He wants you HOME."

"You're kicking me out?"

"Honey, we're not kicking you out." Renee was crying, if I wasn't on an adrenaline high from the thought of punching Phil, I'd give two shits. "But Charlie thinks you'd be better in Forks."

"Forks..." I laughed. Or "Fucks" as I had started calling it. That shitty town I was forced to spend my Spring Breaks and summers with my dad. I didn't mind spending it with Charlie, but there was shit to do there, and Charlie talked about me to the town like I was the second coming. I'd love to show up, not what they'd expect, and really blow their small town minds. "Fine."

I laughed and picked my bag up, staring Phil down again, my mom began to sob. "You're plane leaves at 6 am tomorrow."

"Blow me Phil." The stare-down continued and I imagined Phil's nose bleeding, or maybe I'd give him a fat lip, until my mom spoke.

"Bella, just talk to me."

"Mom, please." I took a step to the side and threw open my closet. I was tired of her "Talk to me" spiels, riddled with guilt. "Let me pack so I can go, I'll sleep at the airport if I need to."

They left me alone as I started peeling my clothes from the hangers in my closet. Not much, mostly black, but making sure I took it all. I devised a plan to go to Forks, then high-tail it to Seattle once Charlie wasn't looking. I'd figure it out after then. I didn't mind fucking around with Phil and Renee, but I wasn't gonna torture Charlie for long. I actually liked him. Traumatizing him with the disgust of his shit-for-brains daughter would kind of suck.

"Christ, I look like shit." I had stopped for a brief second to inspect myself in the mirror. My hair was looking stringy and my natural curls that stopped below my shoulders were limp. The ten pounds of eyeliner and mascara I always wore had spread down, almost reaching my cheeks, and my dry pale lips made me look almost dead.

Once I was sure I packed all my shit in two large suitcases, I needed to get outside. I stomped past the living room, ignoring Phil's calls, and broke into a run at the door. I made it the seven blocks to a friends place. I downed two beers before I even said a word. He figured drastic measures were going to be taken. So he quickly gifted me some pot and coke and gave me ideas on how to sneak it on the plane. I was set for a good month with the stash he gave me. By then I'm sure I'd find out where to score in Fucks, WA.

I smoked a whole joint by myself before heading back to the Dwyers house. Phil watched me silently as I walked past him again and locked myself in my room. I spent all night peeling the lining of my suitcase and stashing my junk in three layers of ziploc, throwing in a dryer sheet for good measure. iPod fully charged, purse full of pills, I dragged my bags to the door around 3 am and sat on the floor by the door until Phil and Renee woke up.

They pulled up to the terminal and I snatched my ticket from my bag and took my suitcases from Phil at the curb. I wasn't in the mood for dramatics from Renee, so I just spun around and walked past the silent sliding doors. I heard Renee call out my name, but all I did was raise my hand, and hold out my middle finger. I didn't even turn around.


	2. Charlie, Meet Bella

CH. 1 - Charlie, meet Bella

The air was wet when I finally got off the plane in the small Port Angeles airport. I took a downer on my layover in SeaTac and it was kicking in nicely when I saw Charlie's cruiser at the curb. He was a no-shit kind of guy, and I liked that, he didn't even get out to help me load my bags into the trunk of the cruiser.

"Bells." He nodded when I finally got into the passenger seat.

"Hey." I huffed and glanced back at the encaged back seat. "You sure you don't want me in the back? You can cuff me."

My attempt at a joke went unnoticed as we took off without a response. The hour drive to Forks was silent. Again, I didn't mind it, I was too high and lost in the fogginess to care. The police cruiser finally pulled up to the house my dad bought when he married Renee and after I was born. Little did he know that he'd barely get 6 mortgage payments in before we would leave Forks, without him.

"Here." We sat in silence, looking up at the house, until Charlie dug through his pocket and handed me a key. "That's yours. Lose it and you're shit outta luck."

"Thanks."

He didn't even help me with the suitcases I was obviously struggling with. Tough love was the prescription I guessed. I made sure my suitcases made a loud "CLUNK!" on each stair I dragged it up. This was different. I was used to being the only asshole in a building; life with Charlie was going to be interesting. He finally made an appearance at my door when I was unpacking. "I just want to be clear. There will be rules here."

"Charlie." I began to protest but he wasn't having it and interrupted me before I could put up any kind of verbal roadblock.

"You will call me Dad." He huffed and put his hands authoritatively on his belt. "And I want you home right after school. Doors get locked at 10 every night, it's your choice as to which side of the door you want to be on."

There was a pregnant pause as I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Char-Dad..." I was way too high to deal with this, or maybe I wasn't high enough.

"You are your own person Bells. And you're old enough to know what's right and to know where you fucked up." Whoa, Charlie used profanity. Either he was way pissed, or trying to be cool, or both. "Do whatever you want out there, but don't bring that shit in my house. I'm still the Police Chief and I will have NO hesitation at throwing you in a cell and pressing charges. I won't have you wandering around my house like a zombie."

I nodded, pursing my lips. I was already high. Maybe he couldn't tell and I could walk around high all day with him thinking this is just the way I am. Still, he was trying to set a president. I continued nodding, setting my laptop on the desk by the window.

"You start school tomorrow."

"Ha. No." I shook my head a little too hard and the colors of the room swirled. "Tomorrow is Friday; I can just start on Monday."

"Bullshit. You start school tomorrow, you won't miss a day, and you'll drive the truck I got you." Charlie huffed, jutting his chin out towards the window. I peered out the window and saw the sickest piece of shit truck parked in the driveway. "Runs like new, but you're putting gas in it." I'm pretty sure it was a descendant of the Model T or something. It looked like a ticking time bomb, rusty and decomposing, and sad looking. I almost felt sorry for it. I guess that's the car Charlie thought I should be in. Fitting for me.

"Charl...Dad, that's a piece of shit." I argued. "I'll end up pushing it to school."

"Lights out by 11. School starts at 8."

The door closed behind him, and I swear I heard a cell door slam. I peered out the window again and cursed that I was on the second floor. The creaky wood floors would suck when it came time to sneak out. Checking the clock, it was only 4:30, but I was ready for another pill. I rushed and put away all my clothes and worked on finding a good stash spot. I could ration it out. A little bump before school, a joint after school, and a pill to sleep...I had a nice variety of other pills that I could use on special occasions. I was good. Forks was a small town, and like all small towns across this fucked up country, the easiest place to score shit was at school. Yeah. School was sounding better by the minute.

"BELLA!" Charlie banging at the door jolted me, not that I had slept, but my high was wearing thin and I wanted a soda really bad.

"Fuck man!" I scrambled out of bed and held the door open. Charlie looked exactly the same as he did last night, only he had his gun in the holster and his badge on. "What?!"

"Get ready for school." He grunted, I caught of whiff of his coffee breath and wanted to hurl. He must have noticed the slight shade of green I was taking on, and he inspected my sleeping gear of a tank and boy shorts, he was uncomfortable with this. I was glad, because he booked it down the stairs a second later after a quick warning. "It's raining out, you might wanna put some clothes on." I peered my head out of the room and could hear him already banging pots in the kitchen. I needed something for this killer cotton mouth, so I threw on some sweats and bounced down the stairs and barged towards the fridge. "You hungry?"

"No." The smell of the eggs and oil churned my stomach again. "I'm not a breakfast person."

"Good. I only fried one egg." Asshole.

Eggs, bacon, butter, moldy bread and a six pack of PBR's. "Don't you have any coke?" I smiled at the double entendre, hanging lazily from the refrigerator door. "Do you even have orange juice? A bottle of water?" I stood in the kitchen, rubbing my nose and feeling a sheen of sweat cover my skin. "You could have at least thrown out the moldy bread. Fuckin' nasty." Anxious, I slammed the old fridge door shut and opted for a glass of tap water. I needed a bump and a carbonated drink quick. "Can I take the truck for a ride to the store after school?"

Charlie appeared, tossing a key at me, of course I didn't catch it. What the fuck. He knew I had hand-eye coordination issues. "School is five miles north, there's a shopping center a mile north of that."

After a shower, change and a nice slathering of eyeliner; I grabbed an assortment of substances and shoved them in my bag with my notebook and a pen. "I'm out.". I grunted towards the kitchen when I landed noisily at the bottom of the stairs.

"Whoa, whoa whoa." Charlie eyed me at the door. If he came near me with his coffee and greasy-egg breath I was gonna wretch on his boots. "That's an outfit?"

"What Charlie?" I grinned, this should be fun, Operation "Fuck with Charlie" was on this early in the morning. "Skin tight jeans and a wife-beater ain't your idea of school clothes?" Yeah, the jeans were too tight, and the ass-stomping boots were scary, but the black wife-beater tank with the leopard bra straps peeping out seemed perfectly fine.

"Take a sweater. It rains all day here."

I threw on my black hoodie and zipped it up to my chin. "Better?"

"I'll be home at six." He turned back to his sickening eggs. "You BETTER be here." He warned. Like there was anywhere else to go.

When I turned the key to my newly acquired rust bucket, it came on so loud it made my ears ring, and a few seconds later a loud bang and a few sputters. "Fucking truck." Shoving it into reverse out of the drive and slamming on the gas I realized that this great representation of American engineering only went 60. Tops, and the thing shuddered and shook like Grandma Swan after the Alzheimer's. I chugga-chugga'ed my way to the only High School in town and parked at the back of the lot next to a shiny silver Volvo. It'd be fun to see the look on the snot-nosed kid when he saw his shiny car next to this piece of scrap metal. I flicked my barely lit cigarette at the car, watching it bounce off the sparkly paint.

I turned and walked across the lot with everyone watching. They looked like vultures waiting to pounce on the new meat. I would enjoy flipping their tops.

**A/N: Please review!!**

Now Playing: "Going to a Town" – Rufus Wainwright


	3. Welcome To Forks High

**A/N: This chapter, as well as future ones, will be split up. First half is BPOV, second half is EPOV, and thus the chapter is longer. Also, mad props to everyone who left reviews and added the story as a favie!**

**Oh yeah, bump what you hear, I own Twilight. (That was a joke, kids)**

**SM owns my soul…but I'm still mad at her for BD *lawls***

Welcome to Forks High

BPOV 

After reporting to the office and taking my list of classes I walked to my first class, Trigonometry, joy. I got a lot of well deserved side eyes and shocked looks. All the kids around here wore Hollister and Abercrombie. Gag. So I could see how I stood out. But they were looking at me, in my lace up Doc Marten boots like I was from outer space, them in their stupid flip-flops and open toed heels. Were they not aware that it rained in Washington?

"Are you Isabella Swan?" Some bird-looking little twat came up to me, all happy and cheery-like. Figures she'd know my name, everything got around in this town. "I'm Angela."

"Bella." I nodded and kept walking as the rain picked up. I could feel Bird Girl hot on my heels. I bet she was part of the Welcoming Committee or Student Body whatevertheycallit.

"Um, today is your first day?"

"No shit."

"Oh, well I have Trig with Ms. Baxter first, who do you have?" Shit, same class. The whole school probably had the same classes. This little chick was trying to be nice. Let's squash that.

"Same." I pushed the doors open to the building and was met by more curious American Eagle stares in the hall. "Can you go away now?"

"Excuse me?" The little bird-looking girl gaped at me; she was holding a classroom door open, Room 112.

I stomped into the room and shoved my paper at the mousy teacher and told her not to try any introduction shit. I'm sure I scared her, she pointed at an empty desk in the back of the class, smart move Ms. Mousey. She went on about class like nothing, and I only caught a couple head turning back to look at me. To which I quickly flipped off and went on sketching in my notebook. This time I was sketching a tree with huge roots and a fern at its base. When the bell rang, Ms. Mousey returned my slip and handed me a book. Next was History, then English, after that a class I was actually looking forward to. Art.

It was taught by a Stevie Nicks-type lady. The kind that was a vegan, and ate granola, and was a Wiccan. That I was sure of that part from the pendant she was wearing. It was cool when I handed her the slip and she insisted I call her by her first name, Reagan, and then told me they were doing free paint with oils. The class was full of kids hoping for an easy A, so I dragged a rickety easel to a spot at the far end of the room with the good light and began to set up. Lady Reagan made her way over to me as I was setting up my paint. She rambled about my kind spirit and how she felt my aura when I walked in the room. I was tempted to tell her to fuck off too, but she was kind of kooky-cool.

The bell rang and I left my station as it was. Lady Reagan promised to not let anybody disturb the "artistic energy". I made my way towards the cafeteria and fought the urge to vomit. I needed another bump to get me through Biology and Phys Ed. I found a bench by the furthest end of the open quad and was quick to take the powder packet out and used my car key for a bump. I wiped my nose and pulled out my smokes. It had stopped raining, but the clouds were still heavy over head. I would have to get used seeing that.

"Hey, Isabella Swan?" A tall lanky dork of a kid dared to make his way over to me. I saw him huddled with some kids, including Bird Girl, and they were looking pointedly at me. "Right?"

"So, you took the dare?" I blew smoke in his direction, insinuating that he had taken the groups dare to go talk to the new weird girl. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering...we...we were just wondering what your deal was? Are you like, Bi-Polar or just a bitch?" He was a bold little shit, I almost respected him. "You made Angela cry, you flipped off Jessica in History, and you flipped me off twice and told me to fuck off when I said hello in the hall earlier."

"In Phoenix we call that a warm hello!" I laughed, this kid had balls. "I'm just busting your balls, what's your name?"

"Eric."

"Eric?" Squinting up at him, I blew out another puff of smoke. "Just call me Bella, and let's be real, I'm not the lets-be-friends type. So run tell your friends that I called you a pussy and threatened to shove your balls down your throat, and I might acknowledge your existence from now on, kay?"

"Fine." He shrugged and walked back to his huddled group of friends. "Phoenix must be a classy place."

It began to drizzle and a teacher walked past, telling me that smoking was not permitted on school grounds. "Go call Chief Swan." I darted a glare him way and watched him scuttle away. I wasn't even trying to scare these people, and they were already pissing their panties. Too easy. Finally the bell rang and I found the building for my Biology class.

"Bella Swan!" Mr. Banner smiled and took my slip, recognizing me without even looking at the name on the piece of paper. "You finally decided to move back with Charlie? That's good news. I bet he's glad to have you back home."

"You're fucking kidding me." He heard the cursing under my breath. "I don't even wanna know how you know my dad...but spare me...let's skip the class intro, and I'll keep the profanities to a minimum, kay?"

"Deal kid." He winked and handed me textbook. "There's only one seat open, here in the front, but I'm sure Edward will be cool with it."

I swiveled around on my heel too look at the front table at the far end of the room, and was devastated.

EPOV 

Today was supposed to be like any other day. Silently going through the motions in class, sitting at the same table with the same faces in the lunch room, avoiding Jessica Stanley and her pathetic puppy dog eyes she always shot me. A lot of the girls still gave me longing glances, and I ignored them all, to the delight of the rest of the male students. For three years I avoided any and all unnecessary contact with anybody but my family.

At school, that consisted of Rosalie, Emmet, Jasper and sweet Alice. I barely even spoke to my instructors; Carlisle spoke to them more than I did during parent conferences he so gladly attended every year. I never understood why, we all excelled in any course of study, and our teachers never had anything to report back to him other than our social awkwardness. He always used the excuse that we were adopted to vouch for our timidity. If the staff only knew it was because we were in a constant internal battle with ourselves over turning in our book reports or devouring them.

Arriving at the parking lot that morning, I eased into my usual parking spot, where nobody ever seemed to park next to. Either they were afraid of me and my strange family, or afraid their hand-me-down sedans and borrowed mini-vans parked next to my expensive car would bruise their already hormonally fragile egos. Humans were funny like that. I struggled to remember my teen years as I approached my first class. Was I awkward like that? Was I a soft hearted human at one point? The memories seemed so far, almost like they didn't exist. The only real thing I remembered from being alive was being sick, and Carlisle, and eventually the pain of rebirth. I had to shake the thoughts during lunch when Jasper asked me about going hunting that weekend four times before I actually heard him. I agreed to whatever he had said, not really knowing what I was agreeing to, but I was sure it wouldn't be much different from any other excursion. I had to get my mind frame back on the present. On classes and the human-swarmed lunchroom, the dissonance that buzzed from the lights overhead, and the sight of Jessica Stanley staring at me from across the room.

I was just trying to get through another day. Until Biology.

I'd heard the murmurs of the new girl arriving today but I made nothing of it. Not until I caught a whiff of the most interesting scent while reading Nietzsche at my table before the final bell rang. It was like someone had burned a bouquet of flowers. Ash and cinder and...Sweat? But I still caught the smell of flowers. Of course none of the other people in the room caught it, for obvious reasons, my nose was much more developed than anybody with a heartbeat. The scent got closer and more complex, strawberries, laundry detergent, and a strange metallic scent. Instinctively I leaned away from it when she sat down in the stool next to mine.

I caught a quick glance and was not surprised when the strange scent matched the strange-looking girl that possessed it. Too much eyeliner, too much mascara, and she was using her long brown hair as a barricade between us. But she had beautiful eyes, and lips, and her skin was porcelain. Even underneath the curious dewy sweat she was breaking out in.

"Do you mind if I sit by the window from now on?" I instantly balled my hands into fists, when she spoke her breath made my head swim, and I caught the full force of her sweet floral blood. My body stiffened and I leaned further away. "Jeez. Fine. Don't have a fucking panic attack." She whispered, sending my brain for another round of insanity. My vision blurred and I couldn't focus on what was being said during the lecture. I fought the thoughts of how many innocent throats I'd have to rip out in order to clear the witnesses that would see. It would only take 6 seconds, maybe 7 if I took my time to savor her first. I'm sure I could lure her to the nearby trees that lined campus. Yes. I would be easier that way. It was just about timing.

"Lab quiz tomorrow!" Mr. Banner and the loud bell snapped me out of my murderous trance to find my mouth watering. I wanted to taste her so bad.

"I really want that window seat." She stood, blocking my exit, faster than even me. Barely five feet tall, standing her ground as if she was ten feet high, it was amusing enough to let the previous deadly thoughts cease. "I'll pay you."

"It's assigned seating." I mumbled, running my hand through my hair, trying to avoid catching another waft of her scent and making my way past her.

"Don't be a pussy. Baxter's not gonna fail you for switching seats with me." She followed me out into the hallway and I calculated how many steps it would take to dodge into the restroom on the other side of the hall. 52 steps.

"I know he won't fail me." 43 more steps. "But that's my assigned seat Bella." 37 steps.

"Whoa there Prince Charming." I felt her grab at the back of my shirt and I stopped with only 29 steps to go. "I never told you my name."

I stood and sputtered and spotted Emmett and Rosalie watching from 31 steps. Alice and Jasper were no where in sigh, yet. "What do I do?" I thought. I heard Alice urge me to stop talking and walk away.

"I fucking hate this town. Nobody keeps their mouths shut!" She finally stormed off in the opposite direction and I made the 29 steps to the bathroom in only 20 strides.

"Edward?" Emmett pounded on the stall where I had holed myself in after barricading myself in the men's room.

"He'll open it in a minute." Alice's pixie voice echoed and twinkled in the bathroom. "Or another 45 seconds to be exact."

"Get out of the men's room Alice." I growled and fought the urge to take the flimsy aluminum stall door and bend it like origami.

"Alice, please." Jasper begged softly. After some more shuffling, 45 seconds later, I opened the door and stepped past Emmett's broad shoulders. He looked at me with concern; Jasper looked his usual pained self. This scene had played itself out plenty of times since we'd arrived at Forks High. Only it was usually Jasper having the hard time. He was our newest family member and just getting used to being what we jokingly called a "vegetarian". Even freshly fed off 3 deer bucks, he found it hard to resist some of the students in the hallway, which usually led to an intervention in the men's room. The tables had turned, and it was now Jaspers turn to talk me down.

They thought it would be best if I stayed out of school for a while. Fake an illness or a broken bone. Carlisle wouldn't object. I had never had this kind of temptation and they feared that I might not be able to bear it. I was the strongest fighter of temptation, so to see me so close to a brink was unsettling, and I was sure it was a bit disheartening to them all. Maybe we were just not built to resist human blood. Just maybe, we were going against our own terrifying nature, and killing Bella was an inevitable truth. They thought maybe I should go spend some time with Tanya and the rest of the Denali family in Alaska.

"She's planning on running away soon." Emmett patted my back as we approached the parking lot. "Alice saw her booking it to Seattle."

"Oh." Alice had a premonition that she was going to run away from Forks. Maybe spending time with the Denali would be good. Just until she ran off. But strangely I didn't want to leave; I wanted to convince her to stay, but I knew if I made a decision Alice would see it. "I think I'll be fine." I reassured them and suggested we skip whatever was left of our last class and head home. Jasper and Emmet rode home together, and the girls riding with me. They flanked me as we crossed the lot; Alice linked her arm with mine and spoke soft words.

"We can just get home and talk to Carlisle abou-" Rosalie began and stopped as soon as she saw what was parked next to my car. "What is that?!"

"That's my pimped out ride." Her voice came from the cab of the truck. The last class had not let out yet, and it seemed like she had decided to skip her last class as we all had. The three of us stood still as ageless stone as she hopped out of the cab and came over to us. "You don't like it?"

Rosalie made a face and looked down at the soggy cigarette butt on the floor by the passenger side door. "Would you mind not throwing your rubbish at my brothers' car?"

"Would you mind turning that attitude off?" I could see Rosalie's brow furrow, secretly wishing Jasper could be here, I knew this situation had to be calmed down quick; for all our sakes.

Alice pulled at Rosalie's coat sleeve and smiled. "Don't mind her."

"Maybe next time I'll flick it at your hair Aqua Net..." Bella scoffed at Rosalie, glaring at all of us for a second, and hopped back into her truck before bringing it to a noisy start and off the lot.

"She's absolute filth. You should have no trouble staying away Edward."

"Rose, not now." Alice pleaded and approached me with a cold hug.

**A/N: When I was writing the hallway/bathroom intervention scene, all I could think about was that scene in Finding Nemo, with the sharks. "INTERVENTIOOOOON!" LOL Anyways, next chapter I'm bringing Jacob into the mix…sorry Jacob haters…Please review! THX!**

**Currently Playing: **

**Taper Jean Girl – Kings of Leon **

**Queen Bitch – David Bowie**

**This Charming Man – Death Cab for Cutie**

**Minerva – Deftones**


	4. La Push and The Pusher

**A/N: WHOA NELLY! You guys are killing me with the hits and reviews! Me love you long times! Sorry about the weird posting increments, I want to have more chapters actually written and let them simmer so I can do my 78 re-reads before posting. It's story insurance.**

**Everyone, be nice, Jacob is in this chapter. But with what I have planned for him, there will be plenty for you guys to still hate him for. Shutting up now…**

**Oh yeah, Stephanie Meyer might have dreamt up Team Edward, but Team Badass!Bella is all mine! **

La Push and The Pusher

BPOV

I'm pretty sure Charlie had a stocked booze cabinet, but I was even surer that he would notice even a drop missing. So after a quick stop at the convenience store, some solid flirting and gifted joint to the clerk behind the counter I scored a fifth of Jack Daniels and some rolling papers. I shoved the rolling papers with the rest of my stash in a box of tampons in my closet after organizing my purchases in my closet, and the bottle of Jack rested inside my empty suitcase.

I had already taken a few swigs and filled my coke can with more. I sat on the floor of my closet, until the can was empty and I threw a piece of gum in my mouth. Feeling triumphant I stood up. Then the room spun, and the colors blurred and the fucking room was closing in on me. Dammit, I hated bad highs. This fucked up little room was giving me the creeps. Slumping back down on the floor I reached in, pulling out a few little prescription pill vials from my bag. I looked for the little red and white capsule hiding in all the other rainbow of pills. Once I found it, twisting open the capsule, I snorted the contents of both tiny halves. Then I peeled off my clothes and jumped onto my bed in just my tank and panties. After lying for a few minutes, I felt my body sink into the mattress and my ability to move my limbs was far gone.

"I'm going to have to start a rule about pants." Charlie startled me a while later. I had actually dozed off and forgot where I was for a short while until I saw Charlie at my door with his gun still on his belt.

"I'm going to have to make a rule about knocking." Rolling over and snatching the pair of sweats I had on in the morning that I'd left on top of the night stand.

Charlie cleared his throat and turned his back as I struggled to pull my sweats on. "I know you said you're not a breakfast person. But, are you a dinner person?"

"I'm not an eating person, Dad." I tightened the strings of my sweats and tied a knot.

"Is that why you're so scrawny?" He peered back over his shoulder to see if I was dressed decently.

"I'm not scrawny." Okay, so maybe I had dropped a few pounds, but nothing terrible, he didn't have to call me names. I was considering calling out his beer belly while he eyed my baggy sweats. Ones that fit me properly a few months ago, Renee had been telling me to eat; she had probably called him to snitch about my lack of appetite. "You just don't have shit that's actually edible in your fridge."

"I'm brought you a burger and milkshake..." He must have remembered how much I liked milkshakes. He'd let me have one everyday when I would come up for Spring Break. Something I had stopped doing since the 8th grade. But I still had a weakness for them. "Strawberry."

"My favorite." I forced a smile and followed him downstairs to eat in comfortable silence. I was glad Charlie didn't ask me anything about how school was, I didn't want to tell him about making Mouse Girl cry, or tongue lashing Ice Queen, or about how I was pretty sure my Art teacher Lady Reagan was probably high on acid. Or have to explain why I gave all these people strange nicknames, like Prince Charming. In truth, I didn't want to know any of these people's names, except one.

"We're going down to the La Push Rez tomorrow."

We? I thought. "Who are you going with?" I set down my twice bitten burger relishing the thought of an entire unsupervised day.

"You."

"I don't want to go." I quickly argued. The last thing I wanted to do two days into my stay was sit around and watch Charlie fish…unsuccessfully at that. I spent more than enough of my summers and spring breaks dying of boredom while Charlie fished with his buddy Billy Black down on the Quileute Reservation. "I'll stay home and get some sleep."

"No." Charlie popped open a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and took a long gulp. "You'll be up and ready at 5 am and at Billy's, while I catch some fish."

"FIVE! You're fucking nuts..." I shook my head. No way was I going, much less at that ungodly hour. A minute long stare-down ensued that ended in Charlie throwing down a french fry he was holding and drinking the last of his beer. He was about to say something but I wanted the last word in. "No."

"Isabella. You WILL be up AND ready at 5 am, and you WILL be nice to Jacob while I actually ENJOY myself fishing."

"Sorry you're not having a blast with me Charlie. Go. Have FUN since you're SO tortured with me." I was not backing down. I was not going. So it scared the shit out of me when he pounded his hands down on the table, knocking the empty beer can on the side and rattling the table loudly. "What the fuck?!"

"I don't know what kind of bullshit Renee and Phil put up with in Phoenix. But there will be NO bullshit here. You do as I say, or I'll ship your ass right back to Arizona and they'll put you in that damned rehab like wanted to."

"WHAT?!" It was my turn to yell. What the fuck was he talking about? Rehab?

Charlie, holding himself up with his knuckles on the table, lowered his face to meet my eye and growled. "Yeah, Phil was going to put you in some juvy rehab home. I threatened to punch him in the balls if he didn't send you to me." I couldn't believe what he was saying. My mom would never do that to me. I guess Charlie saw my denial on my face, because he continued, in that growl that scared me a little. "I would rather get arrested for assault on that pansy-man Phil, than have my kid in some home with junkies over a little grass. I wouldn't do that to you."

A horrible mix of terror and sadness and guilt swept over me. It made my head spin. I bit my lip to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill over. If thought being sent to Forks was a prison sentence, I was wrong. It was more like some kind of torture I was being put through for my shitty behavior. Not only was this a twisted punishment, it was also a trip down guilt road, with a side of bullshit. I was tired of seeing Charlie's face, so I shoved my chair back with my leg until it hit the wall and stormed up to my room. I slammed the door behind me and hid in my closet, putting out a spread of dust and pills and coke cans filled with whiskey for the night. If Charlie only knew I wasn't just into "a little grass".

Snort oxycontin to stay alert and focus on drinking, then I could sneak a smoke if I was quiet and snuck out the back door by the kitchen. Then I'd do a huge line of coke to be up with Charlie and go down to his fucking fishing spot. The kids there would have to deal with me coming down and I'd sleep in Charlie's car until it was time to leave. I set the pill out on a small piece of paper, the two coke cans and bottle of Jack next to it, and then rolled a joint with the weed I'd broken up and prepared, then rationed out some dust into a tiny plastic zip bag. That was the menu for the night.

After breaking up the oxy pill into a fine dust, I snorted it and fixed up my jack and coke, downing it until I was drunk. I waited until I could hear Charlie snoring in his room, so I assumed it was safe to go for my smoke. I snuck down quietly and found the back door opened silently and I sat on the back steps smoking my pot in the cold. It was quiet. Like, freaky quiet, even for Washington. Usually there was rain patting on the window, and even up in my room I could hear crickets and various other woodland creatures making their noises. But right then, it was quiet. Not a breeze to rattle the branches on trees or a threatening cloud to promise some rain. The moon was high and clear over head and I got a mean chill. I squinted my eyes at the patch of woods that was a rarely used hiking trial a few yards out, and I swore I could feel someone watching me. Something. It creeped me the fuck out. I finished my joint and went back inside with the tiny roach I would save for emergencies and desperate times. Even up in my room I was creeped out.

It was about four when I heard Charlie rustling in the bathroom and stomping around. He was hardcore about this early morning shit. I took advantage when he was showering and snorted my previously prepared coke and lay still until I felt the familiar rush from my head melt down to my fingers then down to my toes. Once I was sure I was flying high, I got up and changed into some jeans and my usual black tank and a hoodie. I was lacing up my boots when Charlie barged into my room and eyed me incredulously. I smiled smugly at him and grabbed my bag. "Ready?"

"Go start the truck...we're taking your car." He must have still been pissed from the night before because he didn't even look at me when he said it. Once outside I lit a cigarette and started my truck loudly. I smiled at the thought of waking up the entire block and the surrounding areas with the sound of the engine.

I still felt like I was being watched, only to be snapped out of my paranoid reverie by Charlie slamming the door shut behind him. "Those things'll kill ya." He rolled his eyes at my smoke. "La Push isn't far." He quickly instructed me on how to get there before concentrating on untangling a roll of fishing wire.

"Charlie!" A leathery faced man in a wheelchair and a black Stetson wheeled over when I stopped my truck in a dirt driveway. The house behind him looked like some kind of refurbished log cabin. Painted rusty red with a dilapidated aluminum porch and an even worse looking garage off the side. It looked more like pieces of 7 different houses shoved together. "Where is she?"

"Hey Mr. Black." I had my hood up, flicked my cigarette butt down and smothered it with the toe of my shoe, and held my hand out.

"Hasn't your dad told you?" Billy shook my hand and laughed heartily. "Those things'll kill ya."

"There are worse things that will kill you." A similarly hooded figure appeared behind Billy, pushing Billy's chair, quite reluctantly as I watched.

"Right." I scoffed and watched Charlie and Billy chatter about swells and currents as Charlie pulled his fishing gear from the bed of my truck.

"Okay kids. Play nice." Charlie very unceremoniously left me and the unidentified hoodie standing in the driveway as he pushed Billy off into the street towards the dock.

"You look high as fuck." He hoodie murmured. I glared and tried to make out a face. "Oxy?"

"No."

"Special K?"

"Hell no." I laughed and caught a pair of eyes that finally emerged with a beautifully bronze face.

"I'm Jake." He pulled his hand out from his pocket and extended it towards me. "When Billy said Charlie's kid was coming over and I had to entertain some chick, I expected some blonde cheerleader type." He eyed me.

"Sorry to disappoint." I shrugged, not taking his hand.

"Weed?"

"No, that high wore off last night." I smirked. "I did a combo of a bunch of shit cause I was pissed at Charlie. But I would mind some right about now."

"Nice." Jake finally nudged his hoodie off and I could see his bloodshot eyes. "I never thought a girl with a name like Bella would be hard core."

"I'm a nice juxtaposition of cute name and snorting lines of coke at 5 am."

Jake chuckled and pulled a long rolled blunt out from his other pocket. "It's too fucking early not to be high on something." He sparked the long brown joint rolled in a cigar casing and took three long puffs before handing it over to me. "It's 4:20 somewhere."

"You're a saint!" I took the blunt and took a long hit and held the smoke in, hissing and blowing it out five seconds later. "Had I known, I'd have brought a peace offering of my own."

"We're a generous tribe." Jake shrugged and watched as I took another hit and coughed at the burning smoke in my lungs. "Puff, puff, pass Bella..."

We passed back and forth a few times until Jacob suggested we go inside and get out of the rain that had started drizzling down. I was thoroughly wasted now, and opted to veg out on the couch and watch Jake laugh at some morning cartoon. He was eating Doritos and drinking a Dr. Pepper when I dozed off quietly on the couch. When I woke up a few hours later there were two other guys standing in the middle of the living room staring down at me. A small panic rose in my throat when, to my instant relief, Jacob appeared and handed them two bags.

"This is skimpy Jake." One held the baggy up and showed it to the other. They were both tall and lean and russet like Jake. They had long black hair tied back in slick ponytails. One kept looking at me and it almost freaked me out. I didn't like being alone in rooms with too many guys. I fought back a memory and sat up to look at what was going on in the room.

Jake starting curing loudly at the complainer, "Fuck off Seth. That's a decent dub, take it or go fuck yourself."

"Calm down Jake." the starer finally broke his gaze on me and turned to Jake and back at the other guy. "That shit's legit Seth. Jake doesn't fuck us over like that, and you know it."

I knew exactly what this was. A transaction of the illegal kind. I was unsure who was buying and who was selling until Jake held his hand out. "Pay me." I'd found my vein to the Olympic Peninsulas' dark side faster than I expected. The two guys handed Jake 20's and stared back down at me. "That's Bella, she's a family friend...new in town..."

"Hey." The starer smiled and I didn't move. I didn't like the way he looked at me and I looked at Jake.

"Okay fuck-wads, break bread or get out." That was their signal to either share their newly purchased merchandise or leave. They opted to leave and left Jacob back to his Doritos and Spongebob. "That's Seth and Sam. Sam's cool, but Seth always complains about my sacks."

"You deal from your dad's living room?" My voice came out groggily and I realized that my mouth felt like I had sand in it. "In plain day?"

"We're on a reservation. It's rez-grown weed, and I only sell to my people, I'm doing a civil service for my community!" Jake recited as if making an official statement. "My dad doesn't know, but I gotta make some money somehow."

"You ever heard of a job?"

"Fuck that!" Dorito crumbs flew out from his mouth. "But if you ever want some, just let me know."

"I thought you only serviced YOUR community."

He shrugged, "You're LIKE family."

I felt warm from sleep and peeled my hoodie off and was met with Jake staring intently at the flash of skin that had appeared from the bottom of my tank. I knew the look and I was about to use it to my advantage. "So you only have weed?" If he didn't have more of a selection, he'd surely know where to find it.

"Depends on what's in season." He shrugged, still gazing at me as I tied my hair back in a high ponytail. I was playing it up and giving him a bit of an innocent show. "I could get my hands on anything though. You need anything?"

"A coke."

His gaze broke from my chest to my eyes. "Oh, sorry. Come on." Jake got up and led me to the kitchen where he quickly handed me a cold can of soda. We made small talk, mainly about what was fun to do in the area, where to find good music, and of course which stores didn't card for smokes or booze. He asked me what I was into and was, from what I assumed, impressed at the long list of drugs I had experimented with. "Apple pipe, really?"

"Ha! Yeah, I swear!" I was perched up on the kitchen counter, my feet slightly swinging and Jake popped me open another coke can. "We'll have to try it some time. I'll bring the apple."

"Just bring yourself." Jake closed in on me, nudging between my knees, inhaling loudly and placing his face close to mine.

"Um..." The proximity of his face to mine was highly uncomfortable. Only because I've gotten in trouble with using my flirting to get free shit. I regretted it for an instant. "Jake?"

"Hmm..." He whispered and put one hand on the counter by my thigh, this other hand sweeping my bangs away from my face. "They wont be back for another couple hours."

Yeah, there was bound to be trouble if I didn't move, so I hopped down off the counter landing on Jake's foot. Ignoring his cursing from pain I grabbed my bag from the couch and bolted for the door. I came to a sudden stop in the middle of the muddy driveway. "Fuck." Even if he chased me outside, the next house was probably miles away, I couldn't even run out of the house without getting winded. I glanced at my truck and weighed my options. Charlie took my keys so I couldn't go even if it was an emergency, but maybe, just maybe I could lock myself in the cab until he came back. The rain had subsided and my boots were sloshing in the puddle of mud I had stopped in.

"Bella, hey!" Jake trotted out behind me, handing me my sweater, not minding the mud either. "I'm sorry, I swear I wasn't gonna do anyth-"

"I needed a smoke." I interrupted him and quickly threw on my sweater after realizing how cold it was. I dug out my cigarettes. "Shit, I'm out."

"I can ride us into town." He mumbled, keeping his eyes on the ground and prodding his thumb at the rusty motorcycle leaned on the side of the porch. "I swear, I'll be cool."

I had no other option. I would ride into La Push on the back of Jake's bike and hopefully Charlie would be back when by the time we rode in. I thought maybe Charlie would be pissed we left and would make us go home right away. Jake started up the bike and I hopped on the back. "Get fresh with me again, and I'll kick you in the nuts, agreed?" I grunted as I wrapped my arms begrudgingly around his midsection.

"You and Charlie sure do threaten ball kicking a lot."

"It's a Swan Family tradition."

We rode into town after about five minutes of riding down the main road and got what I needed. Jake tried to make nice, pointing out people he knew and the rickety building he went to school at. The reservation was a pretty shitty place. But then again, it wasn't like Forks was a glittery Manhattan cityscape either. I finally loosened up and felt at ease with Jake and we walked down to a beach covered in pebbles and huge rocks protruding from the sand and into the water.

"This is First Beach." Jake kicked a rock and chuckled when it hit the water and bounced on the water twice before disappearing into a tiny wave. "We all come down here and have bonfires and get lit."

"Nice." We continued to walk and Jake asked me how I liked Forks High. I told him about Crazy Lady Reagan and the way I scared off Eric and the other kids. I told him about how weird Prince Charming was and how I wanted to pull out his sister's weave. "I swear, I think it's a weave!" We both laughed and I dodged a small wave that threatened to soak my boots further.

"Yeah, that's the Cullen kids."

"Cullen?"

"Yeah, our tribe has some kind of beef with them." Jake shrugged and took a drag of the joint he had sparked on our walk, passing it to me. "They can't set foot on the rez, if they do the elders have some dirt on them. Some kooky fable shit."

"Fables? Like Bigfoot and La Llorona?"

"Uhm..." Jake eyed me and furrowed his brow. "It's some weird Tribe thing."

"Tell me."

"I'm not even really sure what it's about, something about them being dangerous." He shrugged and continued. "Legend says that our tribe descended from wolves, we're like some wolfman hybrid whatever the shit, and the Cullen's come from some weird enemy tribe. They seem harmless, but the elders get real paranoid and check on them from time to time, they're hiding something. It's real shady."

Curiosity killed the cat, but Bella Swan wasn't a cat, and maybe Prince Charming wasn't as charming as he seemed. "What? Are they like mafia? Drug smugglers? Black market organ traders? Is that why they're all adopted? OH MY GOD! Maybe they're into selling babies!"

"Black Market Baby Brokers?!"

We both laughed until tears came out of our eyes and we ended up back by his bike. And as I hoped, Charlie and Billy were back when we arrived in the muddy drive, only now I was hoping we could stay a little while. Billy was pissed that Jake took me into town without permission and Charlie was pissed that we didn't have helmets on.

"I'm shaking in my boots Chief!" I mock punched him on the arm. "We got a killer case of cabin fever and went for a walk on the beach. Either that or we would have gotten naked and sinned on Billy's couch."

Jake and I laughed at our previous uncomfortable moment, but Billy didn't find anything funny about it. "Jacob. That's not funny."

"She's kidding Billy." Charlie grunted and raised an eyebrow at me before lugging his fishing case and rod in the back of my truck again. "We're gonna head out now."

"Was nice seeing you Bella." Billy shook my hand and smiled warmly at me. "Will we see you soon?"

"Yeah sure!" I looked over at Jake and made the "Call me" signal with my hand over my ear, mouthing it at the same time.

"You and Jacob got along." Not sure if it was a question or a statement I didn't say anything when I pulled onto the 101 and headed back towards Forks. "Bells?"

"Yeah, he's fun."

"Bella." He had a habit of grunting when he was trying to be all parental and shit. I knew where he was going. "There wasn't any kind of fooling arou-"

"I didn't fuck him dad." Very matter of factly as I prayed for my truck to go just a little faster. I wasn't about to start opening up to Charlie about what I did or didn't do with Jacob Black. Or any man for that matter. "Okay?"

"I didn't mean that." Even in the darkening light of the cab I could see his face flush red. That's another thing I inherited from Charlie, aside from his dark eyes and wavy hair, I blushed beet red whenever I was truly embarrassed. The fact that I was so jaded was a blessing because nothing really embarrassed me anymore. I couldn't remember the last time I blushed as hard as Charlie had a moment before. "Well, Jacob is a good kid. He's always willing to push his dad around."

"He's good at pushing other things too." I thought.

**A/N: Okay, I'm holding any more chapters hostage until I finish TWO more chapters. No, seriously. I need at least a two chapter cushion so I don't feel pressure. Anyhoo…review and I might post faster. Hehe.**

**Currently Playing: **

**People Are Strange – The Doors**

**Moneymaker – Rilo Kiley**


	5. Party For None

**A/N: Okay…okay, I'm gonna admit something. When I first started this story I didn't think anybody would really like it. I've got a million thoughts running through my head as I watch my hit count go up and up every time I post. You guys make me blush like a Swan! LOL But furrealz now let's get down to beez neez! I know I was holding chapters hostage, but I got a HUGE idea for the story, so I decided to release a hostage!**

**Oh, I had a dream that Stephanie Meyer read my story and stole it. Soooo…Ms Meyer created Twilight, not this story. KTHX!**

Party for None

BPOV

"Hey crazy girl..." I was busy not being busy at my bench outside during lunch on Thursday when Eric approached me again. He'd made a habit of coming over during lunch to at least remind me how anti-social I was, not in a derogatory way, more like just stating a fact. I lit another smoke and acknowledged his presence with a puff towards him. "I'm having a party tomorrow at my place."

"Whoop-de-fuckin-doo."

"My folks left for the weekend to Houston. Me and my sister are throwing a shindig. I'm inviting you."

"What? You couldn't find a rental clown for your entertainment?" He laughed his high-pitched laugh that sounded more like a goat on helium. "You know I won't come."

"Ah, but I'm hoping that you know that I know you wont come...and you'll come to flip the script on me." Eric pointed one finger up and shook it, as if to make a point. "Reverse on reverse psychology my nut-job friend."

"Fuck off Eric." He trotted off after rattling off his address and telling me not show up when the bell rang for class.

Oh the joys of Biology. Prince Charming had been out all week and I was glad to have the window seat. When I walked into the class I felt the same devastation at the pit of my stomach when he was sitting in my seat. His seat. Whatever. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a tight black t-shirt and jeans. He was just so fucking pretty.

"Hello." His voice was low and buttery when I approached our lab table. Self consciously I shuffled my feet before taking the stool next to him. "Did you enjoy the window seat?"

"Yep."

I kept my eyes forward and wondered if he noticed me staring at him at the door like a dumbass. Last week he was leaning so far away from me I thought he was going to leap out the window, today his seat was close to mine, our thighs almost touching, and he leaned towards me. "You know how I feel about assigned seating..."

Fucking shit. Holy fucking shitwads! His breath was a crazy combination of peppermint and something sweet or flowery. I couldn't put my finger on it. And of course, I would have cigarette and soda breath. He was staring at me with a twisted little smile on his face when I felt my face go hot. "Aw fuck." I mumbled and looked down at my lap to let my hair cover the sides of my flushed face. He fucking made me blush. Fucking Prince fucking Charming. There was NO way I was gonna pull my face up.

"Something wrong?"

"Uh, no." I feigned complete attention on my fingernails. The black nail polish I wore was chipping and made the exposed nail look grimy. Gross. "I forgot my book."

"Banner won't mind if we share." I smelled his breath again as he scooted closer and placed the book midpoint between us on the table. Mr. Banner started the class and I continued to stare down at my hands. Something about onion roots and cells and pro-phasing, trivial things I didn't care about at the moment. I realized that my face wasn't hot anymore just when a microscope was dumped in front of my on our lab table with a small box of slides.

"Edward, help Bella with this lab please."

"Sure." Edward. So Prince Charming had a name. I doubted I'd forget it again. Or ever.

"What the fuck?" I was sounding like a freakin dumbass, if I was saying crazy shit in my head, there was no way I would actually say anything like this. Feeling odd. Not myself. I should have ditched and...

"Its an easy one." He chuckled and gave me that fucked up twisted smile. "No need to stress out Bella."

Holy shit, not again, no way! My blood flushed up from my chest and was racing towards my face. He said my name. No fucking way this guy was doing this to me with his shiny white teeth and minty fruitcake breath and golden eyes. I swore they were black last week, but what the fuck ever, why was I even freaking out over this? I sat and stewed over my reaction, not caring that he did the entire lab alone.

When the bell rang I booked it for the door and ditched Phys Ed again. Charlie was pissed when he got the call that I had never reported to the Gym and I lied and told him I was on my period. He didn't bother me about it again. Most days I drove home early and smoked a joint out back before actually doing my homework, but today I started the truck and one of my favorite songs was on. So, I let the engine run and hummed along, trying to wind down from Biology.

"Wild is the Wind." Prince Charming appeared out of thin air at my window and scared the shit out of me.

"Fucking aye!" I shouted and clutched at my chest.

"Cat Power is great." He nodded to the song, completely unaware of the heart attack I was having. "I prefer the Nina Simone version though."

"Dude, what the fuck? You scared the living shit out of me." I quickly got a grip and glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You're parked next to my car."

"Yeah, so? Shouldn't you be in class keeping up your GPA or writing your valedictorian speech or applying to Oxford or some shit?" No way had his prissy ass ditched. He looked around inside my truck, stopping and taking a quick look at me when I finished rambling. I wished he wouldn't do that.

"So there's a party tomorrow."

"Yeah, I heard." From what I knew, he wasn't friends with Eric, or anybody for that matter. He only spoke to his siblings. I doubted Eric invited him. "You're gonna crash it?"

"Thinking about it." Again with the fucking smile and the shimmery eyes and goddammit his hair was all disheveled. I turned away and looked at my radio, switching the dial to the station playing some loud rock song. Whatever it took to not blush like a jackass and look like total idiot. "I'll see you there then?"

"I'll see you there." I mumbled to myself when I got home, and again when I was smoking out back, and again when I was drinking Jack and Coke on the floor of my closet again. I was ditching class to go down to La Push and hang out with Jake at the beach the next day. So I waited in my room until Charlie pounded at my door, he was my walking alarm clock, as if I needed one. I was eating a bowl of Lucky Charms when Charlie set his coffee mug down. I decided to let Charlie know about the party. "I got invited to a party tonight."

"You did?" Charlie furrowed his brow but didn't look up at me from his newspaper. "You gonna go?"

"Thought about it." I shrugged. "But if I decide to go, I might be in later than 11."

"Lights out at 11 kid." I hated when he grumbled, it always sounded like he was chewing gravel. Before I could start to bitch about the lame ass curfew he went on. "I'm not so sure about letting you drive around that late. You can go and be as late as you want if you walk."

"Walk?!"

"Eric only lives three blocks over, just be back before I wake up in the morning."

"Wait, wait, wait. I didn't tell you whose party it was." Fucking small town. No fucking secrets. Kids couldn't even throw a party without the Police Chief knowing about it. What kind of bullshit was that? Charlie looked up at me, hitching his brow, daring me to defy his stipulations. "Deal, I'll walk. But if I get mauled by a bear it'll be on your conscious."

"Don't be silly Bells." Laughing, he stood up and adjusted his badge, headed for the door. "It's not bear season yet. Wolves. You should really be worried about the wolves."

After he was long gone in the trooper, I hopped in my piece of shit truck and spent my day with Jake. We hung out at the beach and smoked and talked about what we'd been up to since the summers and springs I had stopped coming to Forks for visits. The forecast was right about no rain, but it was still cold and wet, the usual. I told him about the party and asked if he wanted to come, but he couldn't.

"Friday's are my busy nights." He shrugged like he was working a double shift at the Dairy Queen instead of dealing drugs to other kids. I had to head out soon so I dropped Jake back off at home and headed back.

I guessed I should try to clean up before I crashed the party I wasn't-but-was invited to. There should be free booze. I carefully applied my eyeliner and a heaping serving of mascara. A fresh pair of jeans, another black tank and my black hoodie. I'd probably wear the same to my Prom. If I wasn't totally against going. Instead of my boots, I threw on a fresh pair of converse, they seemed a little less intimidating than my ass-stompers. Around nine I let Charlie know that I was heading out, pretty sure that there would be a decent crowd at Eric's by that time.

"Hello." A quiet voice startled me when I was trudging along about three houses down. Edward literally appeared from behind a shrub and gave me that crooked smile again. He flashed his teeth at me and I remembered his mint berry breath, and I was glad it was dark on the street so my newfound blushing ability would go unnoticed.

"You gotta stop popping up on me dude." I shook my head and stopped walking to face him. He was wearing that nice leather jacket, black tshirt, and jeans again. I guess we both had a favorite outfit. I noticed the converse on his feet and I kicked the tip of my shoe at his. "Nice kicks."

"Thank you." Breaking into a stride in front of me I remembered that he didn't live on my block. Or anywhere near this part of town. I didn't know where he lived, but it wasn't around here, I would have noticed. So then, what was he doing here?

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw that he was a good 10 feet in front of me. I broke into a quick trot to catch up with him. "Are you stalking me or something?" Falling into step with him we crossed the street onto the next block. "Or do you just like hanging out in bushes on my block?"

He didn't answer my question, but continued onto the next block and stopped two houses from where I could hear the music and kids outside laughing loudly. There was definitely booze inside. "I don't really know anybody in there. I've never really been sociable with the people at school. This is the first gathering I've attended." When he spoke, it was always like some scripted shit. Like he really put some thought into every word he said. Even his facial features piqued with emphasis on certain words.

"That makes two of us." I lit a smoke and blew it up over us. "So, are you English or something?"

"No."

"You talk with a weird accent." I took another puff and looked at him through one eye. "Boston?"

"Chicago." He glanced over at the lit house; some kid was already puking on the sidewalk. "I tend to be uncomfortable in group settings, so..." Whoa, was Prince Charming actually acting like a Nervous Nellie all of a sudden? "Don't be upset with me if I...disappear."

"I won't be pissed if you ditch me. We didn't come together, remember? You can leave to go hide in a bush whenever."

"HEY CRAZY GIRL!" Eric hollered across the street as he got off a car in front of his house, holding up a case of beer in one hand and a bottle of Jack in the other. "Come on!"

"Let's make a deal." I rolled my eyes so hard at Eric that it hurt my brain and turned back to the Forks version of Marlon Brando. So effin brooding! "We walk in, straight for the booze, and book it."

"I don't...drink..." His eyebrows furrowed together and he made a strange face. Again with the sweet breath, but this time mixed with the smell of leather. Focus Bella. "...Alcohol." He added.

"What do you drink then?" It was an honest question, why did he erupt into a fit of laughter? He was especially cute when he laughed. "Well shit, if you don't drink, why'd you bother coming?"

"Just observing." Again with the eyebrows and the brooding. He fucking swooned a lot too, kind of dramatic, but it worked for him.

I walked into the house, aware that he was right on my heels, and aware that we were both being watched. I headed straight for the kitchen, filled two cups with ice and handed Edward two cans of coke. Glancing around, nobody noticed when I swiped the entire unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's and made a bee line to the back yard. There were more kids back there, music blaring out of the windows and doors from the inside; I sat down on top of a rolling cooler, next to an abandoned lawn chair.

"Sit down Prince Charming." I let my shitty pet name for him slip and watch his face crease quizzically. Quickly changing the subject I popped open a coke and poured it into the red plastic cup. "Jack and coke, easy on the Jack...for the lady."

He took the cup and eyed me while I poured the brown liquor over the ice in my cup. "Jack and coke, easy on the coke for you?"

"Bingo." I cringed after I took a long sip, letting the cool liquid form a small warm spot in the pit of my stomach. This would be fast. "So Edwardo, where's your girlfriend?" My drink was really Jack and coke with an extra shot of courage juice. I watched as Edward swooned and did that funny thing with his brows. I wonder if he was in the Drama Club. He was like the Keanu Reeves of Forks High.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Do you always do that?" Another large gulp made my entire insides warm up and feel fuzzy, it comforted me as I lit a smoke. He watched me and I assumed was waiting on an explanation to either of my questions. "You know, how you express yourself with your eyebrows. Do you always do that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He stiffened in his seat and faced straight ahead. Pissy little bitch got offended easily. "Do you always drink to numb your emotions?"

I took a long sip and exhaled loudly, he didn't own any rights on over dramatics, and if it was time to talk shit I would beat him at his own game. "Yep." Popping the p for emphasis. "That's my thing Edward. I self-medicate to numb the pain of being pulled away from my father, who probably hates me, and dealing with my hippie mom and the rent-a-pitcher she married. They DEFINITELY hate me. I'm emotionally, sexually, and probably mentally retarded with all the drugs I do. I've got daddy issues, mommy issues, no self-esteem and a downright shitty attitude."

He snapped his head at me. I'd taken his snide little remark and flipped it backwards on him.

"I've been to all the head shrinkers, therapists, and counselors in every school I went to...they don't know shit about shit." I shrugged and flicked my half lit butt at Mouse Girl when she passed. "You know, those 12-step programs missed a step. Somewhere between Acceptance and Denial they should add Reveling in your Haze. It's quite fun. You should try it sometime."

"I don't do drugs Bella."

"I didn't say you did Shirley Temple." I reached my cup out towards his for a mock "cheers" motion, but when I did, my fingers grazed his fingers and they were freezing. Ice fucking cold. It wasn't that cold out tonight, no rain all day, but he still had on his jacket. "What the fuck Fingerscicles?!"

He tensed up again, threw down his cup and bolted into the party and out the front door.

"What'd you do to him, Swan?" Mike shouted from where he fondling Jessica by the pool. "If he comes into school next week wielding a AK, I'm pointing him your way."

"Mike!" Jessica, clearly under the influence of slut, smacked him on the arm.

"I'm serious dude..." Mike shouted towards me as I headed back inside. After drying off some of the soda that landed on my pant leg, I hid out in the kitchen with my bottle of Jack and scowled at the few kids that meandered in and out. At least Eric had the decency to play good music at his parties. It made it easier to get drunk alone and not think about Edward insulting me. I guess he can't take a little resistance. He was the one that insulted me, and then he pitches the Drama Queen Bitchfit for the ages over his fingers being cold. All these thoughts also helped in my current efforts of ignoring Eric's pathetic flirting technique.

"I bet he has a nightly manicure ritual..."I mumbled to myself a couple of hours later as I stumbled out the front door alone. "Definitely related to that Ice Queen bitch he calls a sister."

"Do you ever have anything nice to say?"

"Do you ever fucking NOT lurk in bushes? Fuck." I sloshed my drink and spilled some on his shoe when he popped out of a dark shadow on the side of Eric's house. "I thought you went home to oil your cuticles or read Proust or some depressing shit...listening to Depeche Mode and brooding."

"I needed a moment." He took my cup and sniffed the contents. "Half full of Jack Daniels?"

"How optimistic of you!" I giggled and struggled to stand straight from the heavy fuzz in my head. Under this street light Edward looked extra intense. He sniffed my cup again. "The pessimist in me would have said that the cup was half empty...HEY FUCKER!"

"You're drunk. I think you've had enough." The little shit had poured my drink onto the grass and tossed the cup into the middle of the street. Shit. I was too drunk to even try to stop him. I raised my hands to shove him away and lost my footing, slipping forward and crashing against his chest. Our noses nearly touched and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Bella."

"You smell good Edward."

"Bella." He stood rigid and I decided to go with it, plunging one hand into his hair and giving him my best smile, I could see his nostrils flare. Fuck it. Why deny it? I wanted him. "I'm sorry if I was unkind to you earlier."

"Hmm?" He peeled my arms from around his neck and I got a major chill from his cold hands. Taking hold of my elbows, he broke our contact, propping me up precariously on my own.

"I just." He straightened his jacked and I stumbled towards him again. Jesus fuck, I was a klutz when I was drunk. "I don't open up to people. I don't want you to think I'm rude."

"Well, I am…rude, that is. And I don't care if you, or anybody, is rude to me. Honestly, I probably deserve a good ass kicking." My head spun and I placed my hand over my forehead.

We began to walk towards Chief Swan's house. Well, more like Edward walked and I shuffled beside him. "Being rude never made anybody any friends." He turned and looked at me. God, I hope I didn't puke in front of him. That would suck. Majorly. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'll be fine." I stopped him from walking. "I just need to sit down for a minute." Christ Bella, don't puke in front of this guy. It's not becoming of a lady. Not that I'm a Lady, in any sense of the word, but I really didn't want him seeing me hurl.

"Get in." Out of nowhere he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and was holding the door open to his silver Volvo. "Maybe a ride would do you good."

"Yeah, yeah. Fresh air." I slumped into the seat and cursed myself for pounding my drinks so hard. This buzz would fade away pretty fast, and then I'd have nothing to keep me fuzzy, I should have brought a joint.

"I know a nice place."

"Kay." My eyes drooped and I was just praying not to puke. Dear God, I know I'm probably going to hell for all the shit I've done, but if you even give a shit, don't let me puke in this kid's car. I don't want to have to pay for the detailing. He probably gets it done at the dealer. That's pricey. Let's make a deal Big Guy, yeah? Don't let me puke, and I'll stop making Mouse Girl cry at school. Do we have a deal?

By the time I was done pleading with God, the car had stopped and Edward was holding my door open. "Let's go for a quick walk."

"Is this where you dump all the bodies?" Laughing at the creepy woods he had stopped at, and began to walk into. He stopped at my comment and glared at me. "Oh come on! You're secrets safe with me! I won't tell the Feds."

He continued walking in front of me silently. We walked for about 15 minutes, I guess, while I rambled randomly about how the Feds swooped up on Cat Stevens in some airport for changing his name to one that matched a terrorist. I was queen at random facts and rambling conversation. Even one-sided ones like this one.

"No, for real!" I flailed my arms. "They're too busy harassing with Cat Stevens at the airport to come find where you dump the bodies. You're like the West Coast Dexter, aren't you?! Fuck I have to piss."

Edward stopped and swung around making me crash into him. "We're here."

We took a couple more steps and the creepy woods had opened up to a huge grassy meadow. If I knew how big a football field really was, I would say it was bigger than that. Trees lined the circular meadow and the moon hung high and bright right in the middle of the black sky.

"I'm gonna pee over here...don't look!" I scurried back into the woods and rifled through my bag. I knew I had some McDonald's napkins in here. I finally found a huge tree and dropped trou shamelessly. I guessed that a squirrel or a raccoon would be getting an eyeful tonight. When I unfolded the napkin, a tiny baggy fell out and I thanked God, Krishna, Allah, and Buddha for the blessing. Once I finished my business and got to the business of getting fucked up. I found my house keys and dunked it into the powdery substance in the tiny bag. Quickly scooping up a heap I snorted it into my right nostril, then another in my left. My head buzzed harder. "Hey! So what's with bringing me to the meadow? Is this where you bring all your girls to score?"

Edward was standing about 10 feet into the meadow, his hands shoved in his pockets, staring up at the moon. "Do you ever look at the moon?"

"Only to wonder if it's really made of cheese and those NASA douches are fucking with us." I slumped down on the grass at his feet, sniffing and rubbing my nose. "Are you gonna start reciting poetry about the moon?"

"All wild animals have respect for the moon. Not because its kind, but because in its light, even the unkindest things are softer. Even hasty decisions have room for a little moonlight." He joined me down on the wet grass that was already threatening to soak through the seat of my jeans. Cold, wet ass, not sexy Bella. "Frightening things appear to be forgiving, even for a brief moment..."

I rested my elbow on my knee, holding my head up with my hand. "You are the end-all Emo Boy, aren't you?" I watched his mouth twitch up, about to smile, and I leaned forward to his lips. His mouth was hard and colder than his fingers had been earlier, but I could feel his skin mold around mine. But the cold was just so damned shocking that I pulled back faster than I had went in for the kiss. "Fuck Cullen, are you super anemic, or something?"

"What's that smell?" He shoved me back so hard that I almost slammed my head into the grass, everything blurred for a second.

"What the fuck is your deal?" I shouted and scrambled to my feet, he was already heading back on the trail towards his car. "What smell?"

"You smell...different." He was walking way to fast and I had to run to keep up. I could see his hands balled up into fists at his side.

Just my luck, not only was he a drama-queen-bitchfit-emo-bush-stalker, he was fucking bipolar too. You really know how to pick 'em Swan.

**A/N: My writing playlist crept itself into the story. *shrug* Whatevs. Next chapter will be all EPOV. Please remind me to never go out on a Thursday night, hangovers in the workplace really stifle the urge to write. Review S'il vous plait! **

**Currently Listening To:**

**Steadier Footing – Deathcab For Cutie**

**Wild is the Wind – Cat Power (duh!)**

**Best of You – Foo Fighters**

**Sad Lisa – Cat Stevens (LOL)**


	6. Collide

**A/N: Oh hai…thanks for HUGE spike in hits! That's freakin' awesome! And the reviews and favies are great! Thank you mucho amigos! Anyways…Here goes.**

**Oh yeah, Stephanie Meyer called and she wrote Twilight, eff why eye!**

Collide

EPOV

I brought Bella Swan to the meadow to kill her.

The decision had been made.

Everybody at the party had seen me leave alone before her, and they all watched her stumble out alone hours later. Nobody was on the street when I lured her into my car and drove her to this meadow. It would be easy. No witnesses for a drunken victim, too simple, it would be chalked up as another random small-town tragedy. I had barely been able to contain my desire to rip out her neck when I first smelled her coming out of her house. I kept changing my decision on exactly when and how I would do it so Alice wouldn't find me and try to stop me. I changed my mind quickly, from tearing her throat out in the middle of the sidewalk, to just taking her home alive, and now taking her in the meadow. The decision to kill her had been made when I left my home earlier that evening, the means of how were still up for decision.

I was about to disappoint my entire family and throw away decades of abstinence. But it was worth it. Her scent. The way her skin was warm and fragrant and plump. The melodic sound of her heartbeat and the way I could see her sweet blood pumping through her veins beneath her almost translucent flesh. She was worth it.

The rush of sound inside of my head roared like a shell you put up to your ear at the beach. Everything in my head swirled at my impending relapse. I knew that Alice would see me killing her soon, if she hadn't already seen it, wondered how long I had before she would show up. Late of course, because I could already taste the venom pooling in my mouth, my brain already fuzzy with the thought of how she would taste. Warm and thick in my throat. It made more venom surge to my tongue.

Bella was still drunk and stumbling about when she came back from relieving herself in the woods. Enough time to calm myself down before the inevitable blood-frenzy began. Like Bella had said, somewhere between acceptance and denial, one should revel in the haze. A long suppressed blood-lust driven haze that I was going to enjoy. I was in denial about wanting to kill her for far too long now, and I would have to accept that I had a weakness for Bella, I was definitely going to revel in this. Her scent was syrupy sweet, even tinged with the bitter scent of the alcohol she had so flippantly consumed, even with that I craved it even more.

If I played it well enough, she wouldn't even feel it, and she'd think I was trying to kiss her or...

"You are the end-all Emo Boy, aren't you?" Bella crashed her lips to mine and her scent was gone. The flavor I was salivating for was now sour and metallic, and utterly repelling. She mumbled something before I gave her a light shove that sent her fragile human form sprawling into the grass.

"What's that smell?" She cursed and yelled at me, but I hadn't realized that I had said that out loud. "You smell...different."

My fervent thirst was suddenly wiped away by the bile threatening to rise inside me. It was almost like another person came out of those woods. The intoxicating flavor of her blood, which I could almost taste in my hunger, had seemingly gone sour.

"What the fuck is your deal?!" I needed air, clean air, not whatever that new scent was. Not caring how fast I did it, I made it to the edge of the clearing, where the trees began. I could hear her chasing me, my nose and throat protesting. "What smell?"

"You smell different." Every word she spoke spit that awful odor at me. She was enveloped in it, and the closer she came the more pungent it became.

"Okay, seriously, slow down!"

When I spun around abruptly, she smashed into my chest and onto the ground. She actually looked terrified. In the little moonlight that was able to pour through the branches of the trees overhead, her eyes glistened, her heart-shaped face flushed. I could hear her pounding heart and erratic breathing. But just like that first day in Biology. I heard nothing of her thoughts.

"Bella?" I crouched between her legs, my face an inch from hers. Her heart pounding so hard and fast that the sour smell was fading with every erratic beat. "Bella?"

"Why the fuck did you bring me here?" Her eyes bore into mine as she propped herself upright. I was still perched on my knees between hers.

"I don't know." I lied. A minute of silence that only served to frustrate me.

I didn't choose not to speak to humans; it was just more convenience to listen to their truly honest thoughts instead of actually hearing the truth they chose to vocalize. But with Bella, that wasn't an option.

"You don't know?" Bella scrambled to her feet and turned back towards the meadow. "You've been creeping around in bushes by my house, following me into parties you weren't invited to, and then you bring me here. I don't know what I was thinking even coming with you."

I watched her shove past me, back into the meadow, searching for her discarded bag. "Why did you come with me?"

"Because you asked me." Her hands were pulling her hair back, the moonlight making her already pale skin glow, highlighting her collar and neck. As much as I wanted to have her lifeless body in my arms, I felt like an even bigger monster for making her face contort in pain. "And because I'm a glutton for punishment."

"You really shouldn't get into the cars of perfect strangers." We stood motionless, frozen in our spots; I tried and tried to read her thoughts. Still nothing.

"You're not a stranger."

"Oh?" I could hear Alice's thoughts now; she was close, but not panicked. "You don't know me Bella."

"You're right." She shrugged, folding her arms, but not changing her stance. "I don't know you. Nobody does. You're just a snobby prick who thinks he's fucking better than everybody else. You think you can walk around like you're the shit and everyone is supposed to get on their knees for you?"

"_Edward, you weren't going to kill her." _ Alice's thoughts weren't comforting, even in the thick, awkward silence between Bella and I.

"Can you just take me home? I'm done being a joke."

"You think I brought you here as a joke?" I closed the distance between us in three strides. Bella took a defensive half-step back. I could still smell her difference, only it was less putrid, more metallic. Whatever made her scent change, it was pulsing through her veins, diluting and mixing in her blood. "I'm no joking Bella, you need to stay away from me."

"No." Her face was still full of pain, tinged with fear. She took another step back and bolted around me, back towards the path leading to the road. "You stay away from me. Stop lurking in bushes, don't speak to me in class, don't even fucking smell me…if it insults you so much."

Fat raindrops began to fall around me as I watched her form disappear into the trees.

"_Go get her Edward. Don't let her walk away angry." _

"Dammit Alice." My hands were balled up in fists at my sides and I broke out into a run. Not caring that my speed was obviously not human. I should have just run home and left her there. I thought about just packing up and disappearing. I could just run off to South America or Australia. Anywhere but here. I closed the distance between us and she was still cursing.

"Fuck you Edw-" Bella stopped suddenly, tripping over a root that protruded from the ground, landing on her backside. She continued to curse rather loudly, her face bright red, a sheen covering her skin. She was glistening with sweat, making her scent swirl around me as I crouched down next to her on the soggy ground.

"Bella, I didn't bring you here to make you feel like a joke." Although I was the one feeling like the biggest fool. What could I say? I'm a vampire and I want to drink your blood, or I brought you here to kill you and bury your body where nobody could find it?

Then she looked at me, tears threatening to spill from her chocolate brown eyes. She had the most inexplicable look on her face. I couldn't place the emotion. It wasn't necessarily an emotion. More like, her guard had finally come down.

Bella was no longer the angry girl, or the sharp-tongued spit fire she feigned to be. It was quite easy to see past it. If you only took a second to watch her when she thought nobody was watching.

This was precisely what I had been doing for days. Peering through her window, watching from just beyond the trees, watching her through the eyes of others. When nobody was looking she was just vulnerable. And not just a typical vulnerable teenager. All the anger she was holding, like a shield of armor, wasn't to keep others out…but to keep herself in.

"Why don't you show people who you really are? Why the anger?" Her eyes burned into mine, never releasing the threatening tears, she spoke softly.

"It's all I've got." Bella sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands. "Can you just take me home?"

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"Edward, I just-I just want to go home now."

_"Do it Edward." Alice insisted, she was close, but not close enough to stop me. "It's going to happen. Just do it now…" _

Cupping my hand on her cheek, I neared her face to mine. "I think it's time I take you home."

"Oh." Bella's dreamy expression was broken and the guard was back up. She scrambled back to her feet and began walking through the trail towards my car.

"_EDWARD!" Alice's voice chirped in my head._

"Not now Alice." I followed Bella, and drove her home in uncomfortable silence. I had seen what Alice had seen. Bella in my arms, my eyes blazing topaz, her eyes terrified and spilling with tears. It was the moment I was going to kill her. That moment was not going to happen tonight. But it was going to happen.

And as much as the battle was raging within me, to just become a monster all-together and do it right then or run and save whatever is left of my so-called morals…I wanted more to be sure she was home. Safe from anything that hurt her. Safe from me and any danger I could put her in.

My Volvo came to a skidding stop in front of the Chief's drive.

Bella glanced over at me for the first time since we'd gotten in the car. I pushed my mind to try and break her barrier and see what she was thinking. But it was no use. There was no way for me to know what was going on in her head. Her face was painted in anger as she got out and slammed the door hard.

I had to rest for my forehead on the steering wheel, to gather my thoughts and try to think clearly. Think of what I was going to do. Let the dark side of my nature take over, run, or stay and do what I really wanted to do. I heard Bella's footsteps from the sidewalk, up her steps, and through her house.Aside from her steps, I heard other, more familiar strides approaching.

"Stupid move Edward." Emmett's voice was nothing more than a whisper, but I heard him clearly.

"Cut it out Em." Alice was closer, already at my window. The concern on her face was apparent, both Emmett and Alice slid into my car in a smooth silent motion. Alice, in the passenger seat, placed her hands on both sides of my face and gave me a weak smile. "Edward?"

"I should have gone to Denali."

"You sound so defeated." Now a bigger smile. "Let's figure this little situation out now before we concede."

"I almost lost it." Wordlessly I expressed to Alice how close I was to ruining decades of hard work and abstinence. "And then, her smell was just."

"I smell it in here." Emmett was sniffing and grimacing in the backseat. He looked almost silly, too large for my small back seat; he might be the only person in my family that would be able to stop me if I lost control. Physically at least. I could see why Alice brought him. "Can you open a window?"

"It's the drug." Alice spoke without moving her mouth, I was never more grateful for our silent bond more than now. "It was strong because she had just taken it."

"I can actually resist her when she smells like that."

"Edward?" We were already speeding down the road towards our home. "It was going to happen. You were going to kill her. I saw it. Until she took the drug, and everything changed."

"How ironic..." I could feel the haze filling my head again. Maybe I was going into shock, because I felt a new sense fill me when I thought about Bella Swan. "The only thing that kept her alive is something that might just kill her in the end."

"I'm not going to lie to you Edward." Alice stroked my arm, trying to catch my eyes. "She's not leaving anymore. You've piqued her interest."

"What do I do?" Our eyes finally met, and I didn't have to speak to know, she showed me again. "So that's it? I'm going to kill her."

"Edward, focus." Alice's laughter filled my car, pulling me away from my morbid thoughts. "You're not going to kill her."

I begged Alice to please tell me why, if I wasn't going to kill Bella Swan, did she see her limp in my arms? Why, in her vision, was I there ready to take Bella's life and finally condemn myself to become an eternal monstrosity?

"Go on Alice, tell me why should I believe you when you say I'm not going to kill her?"

Emmett was silent, knowing that a whole conversation was going on wordlessly. He kept his mind blank, probably for my own sake, except for the recap of Baseball scores he'd memorized for some reason.

"Because." Alice's eyes shined and shimmered in the low light emitted from the dashboard. "You aren't whats going to kill her. You're going to give her life. You're going to love her and make her live."

"Alice, you're on drugs." I finally spoke.

"Fine." She chirped. "But don't come running to me when you fall in love with her, cause I'll already know."

"Alice." The car took a sharp turn, narrowly missing a curve that would have led into a ravine. "Don't say that."

"I don't have to say it Edward. You already know it."

BPOV

The ride to Charlie's was quiet. I hated silent rides, unless it was with Charlie, silent rides were always bad. I couldn't make myself turn to look at Edward. I didn't want to look at him. I wanted to just get out and pack my shit, straight to Phoenix, I'd risk whatever bullshit punishment I'd be facing there.

When his stupid shiny car stopped in front of the house, the seatbelt locked at the sudden stop, jolting me on the back of the seat. When I opened the door, I glanced back at him over my shoulder and wished he would drive off into a ravine on the way home, and I slammed the door. Hard. I should have puked in his car.

When I finally made it upstairs I heard Charlie snoring, so I locked myself in the bathroom and turned the shower to the hottest it would go. I peeled off my clothes and let the hot water run over my body.

I needed to get Edward out of my head. His strange actions confused the shit out of me, pissed me off, and kind of made me sad. I hated him. I hated him for making me drink until I was unable to say no to riding in his car. I hated him for going out to that stupid fucking meadow. I hated his sweet breath. Everything about him, I hated it. And more than anything. I hated myself for letting him affect me. For making me weak and stupid and…fuck. I didn't hate him. I did all those things because I wanted to.

The hot water was scalding my skin, but I didn't care. The whole bathroom filled with steam so thick that it was hard to breathe. I wasn't even high anymore. Fucking Edward.

I couldn't stop thinking about him. And the more I tried to stop, the more his face appeared, I could almost smell him.

"You okay in there?" Charlie knocked at the bathroom. I don't know how long I had been in here, scalding my skin, steaming up the tiny bathroom. "Bells?"

"Fine Charlie." I shouted, finally shutting off the water and wrapping myself in a towel. "Go back to sleep."

"You sure?" Charlie's groggy eyes watched me come out of the bathroom, and then to my room. "Shower? This late?"

"Got wet from the rain, don't wanna get sick." I wasn't even sure if he heard me or not, but I heard his snoring a few minutes later when I was dressing.

I still had Edward on my mind.

His stupid hair. And his scent, like sandalwood and honey, and clean. His eyes. His smooth skin. And his lips were soft and sweet.

A wave of panic swept over me, and I scrambled to my closet. There was no way, after the shitty night I had, was I feeling what I thought I was feeling.

No, no, no.

Maybe I was still high. This was a bad trip. Had to be.

Then I thought about Edward, and his eyes and lips…

In all my life, nothing was really ever certain. I never knew if I was going to be in another state next month. Or if I was going to wake up one day and Renee and Charlie would be back together. Or if I'd even be alive the next day. Shit, it wouldn't surprise me if I suddenly sprouted another eye. But I was pretty certain of one thing right now.

When I thought about Edward, my chest hurt, and my eyes burned with tears. He made my hands sweaty and my brain went fuzzy and my mouth said crazy things.

So, I didn't know if I'd be living in Forks for much longer. Or if I'd run off to Seattle tonight. Or maybe I'd stick it out with Charlie.

The only thing I did know, is that Edward had me. Knowingly or not. I was his. I could fight it, and be in denial about it; seriously I'd only set eyes on the kid a handful of times, but let's not kid ourselves.

I am in love with Edward Cullen.

**A/N: Dude, that was harder to write than I expected! WHEW! Sorry about the time between posts. I'm a last minute holiday shopper and there seemed to be NO time for writing! I think Holiday Ham causes writers block! And then I kept having a hard time getting into "Edward Zone", and I kept getting different ideas on where to take the story. I was a mess. I felt bad for taking so long! Hope everyone enjoyed their Holidays!**

**Currently Listening to:**

**Yes – Coldplay**

**Even So – Rachel Yamagata**

**Just – Radiohead**

**Half a Person – The Smiths**

**Videotape – Radiohead**


	7. Lesser of Two Evils

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. I had a passing in my family and had to deal with that. I'm halfway through the next chapter. **

**Stephanie Meyer is not the boss of me, but she is the boss of Twilight.**

Lesser of Two Evils

BPOV

Monday morning sucked.

That was a fact for every Monday morning ever, but this one sucked even more, only because I had a horrible hang-over from being either drunk or high or both all weekend. Charlie had worked and pretty much left me alone at home. I'd be passed out by the time he came home. So, I only really saw him in passing when we both pulled out of the drive this morning.

I wanted to skip school and hang out with Jacob, but he hadn't answered his phone all weekend either. This didn't help. I was out of herb, and relied on the last of my Jack and coke to get me through the weekend. Even my pills were dangerously low.

Yeah, so maybe I went overboard. I wish I gave a fuck.

When my truck pulled into the lot, I found a new spot to park, not next to the shiny Volvo. My eyes had already scanned the lot and found that pretentious little prick leaning against the side of his car chatting with his brother Emmett.

Emmett was good looking. Really good looking. Like, romp under the bleachers, good looking. Tall and built, and a little scary. Different from Edward.

I watched them interact, talking in hushed whispers but not looking directly at each other, then Emmett caught me ogling him. His lips twitched up in a smile and Edward snapped his head in my direction. I had to fight back the sick bile in my stomach when his eyes met mine. Fuck, it was too early in the morning for this, shitty a morning it was. It was grey and wet and gross. I missed Phoenix. I thought about the dry heat and the color of the desert as I trudged past everyone into my first class. I was so wired over the weekend I had actually caught up on all my school work and a retarded report on Pride and Prejudice. I'd read that book so many times I could write reports about it with my eyes closed.

That was one thing I actually had patience for. Reading. Depending on what substance was in my system, I could peel through a book in a day; Austen was always a favorite of mine.

I was walking to my lunchtime bench when Eric popped up to ask me about my weekend. He was flanked by Mike and Bird Girl. They were all actually shocked when I had decent responses.

"Come on, Swan. Pizza's on me!" Mike nudged when I declined their lunch offer. I guess the Welcome Wagon was persistent, even with freaks like me, I declined again.

"I'll have lunch with you, when it's sunny." I fished out my pack of smokes and headed to my familiar bench.

"I'll keep you to that Swan!" He actually winked and gave me thumbs up, that cheese ball. "We get sunny days…sometimes."

I watched them walk away, all cheery and as pretty as they make it look in the movies, lighting my smoke I was queasy again. I just wanted to smoke and read the ratty copy of Romeo and Juliet I had swiped from the library earlier.

Only problem was, when I got to my bench, Edward was there. I wanted to throw up on his shoes. The strength of my already weak stomach was dwindling down and he was about to be the catalyst to sickness building in my throat.

"Oh shit, what do you want?"

"Are you going to sit?"

He was kidding. He really expected me to be civil towards him?

"No, I'm not going to sit." I flicked my newly lit cigarette at his stupid khakis. "You're going to leave."

"I think things got off on the-"

"Dude, shut up." He stared at me; I wasn't sure what the look that appeared on his face, he was doing the brooding and eye brow contorting again. "Just leave. This is my fucking lunch spot."

His eyes bore into me, like he wanted to burn a hole through my head, then I noticed that his eyes were almost gold. They shimmered and actually made the dark circles under his eyes more evident. His skin was almost translucent, but there was a slight pink in the skin under his cheeks, his lips were the most flush. I don't know how long we were staring at each other. It made me really uncomfortable, and my body wasn't letting up on the option of hurling on his shoes.

I just didn't want to be hypnotized by him anymore, so I just left, blindly heading into the lunchroom. When I got to the door, there was a wall of noise and kids sitting at tables. Nobody really noticed me, so I scanned the room for an empty table, there were none, but there was Mike; waving his arms at me. Guess I was wrong about nobody noticing me.

"I knew you couldn't pass up my offer, Bella."

"Fuck off Mike, I'm running from Edward."

"Cullen?" Mike blinked his tiny blue eyes at me.

"Edward Cullen?" Bird girl giggled when I finally slumped down in the seat between her and Eric.

"Yeah, he's fucking stalking me." My eyes darted around the lunch room. Suddenly the entire room was looking over at the table I was at, mainly because of me. I'd never really come into the lunch room since I'd been here. Much less shown interest in making friends.

"Edward doesn't talk to anybody." That stupid broad Jessica chimed in, smiling with all her teeth; I remembered how sloppy and drunk she was at the party. "Like, ever. Him and his weird tribe family don't speak at all actually."

"Jess!"

"It's true Angela!" She flipped her hair and gave me the once over glance before taking a really snotty tone. "I don't know why you defend them all the time. They don't care that they're freaks. Which is really sad, cause Edward is hot. Every girl in school was on his jock. But he blows everybody off. I'm pretty sure he's not into chicks."

Mike and Eric erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Jessica is just mad because she just got rejected by him last week. Second time this semester actually." Bird girl leaned close and nudged a lemonade in front of me, whispering low so only I heard, "She also heard you showed up at Eric's with him."

"You're a hot commodity Bella! I know a couple guys that are trying to get at you. Eric, for example, has it bad for you!" Mike snorted, receiving a punch to the shoulder from Eric. "If only you weren't a huge bitch."

"Were you dropped on your head as a child?" Out of the corner of my eye I caught Edward sitting down at a table with his family. "So, seriously, what's their deal? I hear a lot of bullshit, but nobody seems to have a solid story on them."

"It's complicated."

"You're telling me." I made a note to start calling Bird girl by her name. Angela was a really decent chick. "Thanks for the lemonade." I got up and gathered my stuff.

"You don't want to stay?"

"Nah…" My eyes caught Edward averting his eyes from me, whispering to Emmett again, all of them were looking at me. "I'm pretty sure my bench is free now, I just want to read."

"Okay, see you in class!" If I wasn't so messed up, I might be able to be friends with Angela. Too bad.

Halfway through the fifth act of the first scene, where Romeo gets to the party and first sees Juliet, the bell rang. I thought about the first time I saw Edward, and how ever since he'd been on my mind, and even now when he was the bane of my existence. He was on my mind. Something about him was making me crazy, because ever since Friday, all my crazy thoughts seemed to be about him. Of all the crazy thoughts I'd ever had, they usually involved drugs or fast driving or both, they never really revolved around a boys. Ever since my revelation in the shower Friday night, that's all they revolved around, except they were only around one boy.

"Hello." Edwards' smooth velvet voice startled me out of my daydream. I had taken a seat at my empty lab table, blocking his way to pass.

"I want the window seat." I said it loud enough for the other kids in class to hear and stare. Mike was at a table across the room laughing. I still wanted that window seat.

"Sure." Not taking another moment to hesitate, I slid into the empty seat by the window and smiled smugly up at him. He slid into my now empty seat, fists clenched, eyes focused in on me.

"How was your weekend?" My voice was still loud enough for the kids in the tables by us to hear. "What did you do after you left Eric's party? Anything fun?"

"Bella." Edward growled cautiously under his breath.

The two girls in the table behind ours began to giggle and whisper.

"I forgot to tell you thanks for the ride home after." I was making a full-on scene on purpose. Back in Phoenix I would pull this on my mom and Phil in public places to put them on the spot. I remembered how much he was bitching about my smell out in the meadow, so I decided to pull that card too. "Oh, and I wore that perfume of mine you said you loved…smell!"

Edward's whole body tensed up when I put the inside of my wrist up to his nose. "Bella."

"Oh, okay!" I laughed, fully satisfied at getting a little revenge, I pulled my arm back and got back to reading. When the second bell rang, Mr. Banner came in with a rickety cart with an even worse looking TV; it was boring-ass movie day. Joy. I wasn't more grateful for the newly acquired window seat than today.

During the entire movie, Edward maintained his stiff position, fists still at his side. I could see the tendons under his hands and his knuckles were even whiter than his already pale skin. Of course, I was only seeing this from the corner of my eye, giving him quick glance every few minutes. My brain was hyper aware of the fact that he was next to me. I probably should have been scared at how he was reacting to my little performance. He looked, as Mike had said at the party, about ready to whip out an AK.

"Jesus fuck, lighten up!"

My penmanship was always horrible. I added another exclamation point before shoving the paper in front of him.

He stared at the paper, and then back at me, this time I really was scared. His eyes were on fire. If they were gold before, now they reminded me of molten lava, about to burn. My stomach flipped and churned and I was pretty sure that now I was going to keep my word on vomiting on his shoes. Edward's eyes were still on me, concerned, a little frightened of me this time. When the room spun, I shot up from my seat and ran for the door, slamming it open and running straight to the bathroom.

I couldn't remember the last time I ate, but somehow I had enough in me to be sick, really sick. My entire body broke out in a cold sweat and I was shaking so hard I could barely get the faucet to turn once I finished unloading my intestinal fury on that poor toilet bowl. When my hands finally cooperated, I splashed so much cold water on my face that I even got my hair wet. The mirror gave me a pretty shitty reflection of myself while I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. Fishing my cell from my pocket, I quickly dialed Jacob, it rang only once.

"Hey Bells."

"Jake, where the fuck have you been?" Leaning on the wall, the cold tiles felt good against my cheek. "I'm sick."

"Shit, do you need me to come get you or sumthin'?"

"No, no. I need you to score me some shit. You got a pen?" After rattling off my order, Jacob promised he'd try to get his hands on whatever he could; I flipped my phone shut and headed back into the hall. There I was met with Edward, holding my bag in one hand, and Romeo and Juliet in the other.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"No…" My hands were still shaking, I needed a smoke. He followed me out and watched me light my cigarette. "You can go back now, I'm just gonna leave."

"I can take you home if you're not well enough to drive yourself-"

"Fuck that." I snatched my bag from his hand. "You already fooled me with that line. I'll be fine…" The soft buzzing of my phone in my pocket broke my concentration on the slew of insults I was about to throw at Edward regarding our little incident on Friday night.

"Hey Bells, I called my guy, you want to go get it from him?"

"By myself? Where?"

"Port Angeles, I'll tell him you're coming."

"Shit, okay." I wrote the address down on my palm and hung up. I could make it to Port Angeles and back before Charlie came home.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I gotta go."

As sick as I felt, I had enough energy to high-tail it back to my truck, not even caring if I got shit for ditching the rest of my classes. There was a stop at home to get some more money, and then I got on the highway to Port Angeles. My stomach was still sick, but the sweating had subsided, so I chain smoked the entire drive there. I hated being sick, even more than I hated going to strange places alone, I didn't have a great track record with luck. The drive was a little bit under an hour, but the clouds had gradually gotten darker and threatened rain as I finally got into the sleepy looking town.

After getting lost for a few blocks, and going in cirlces, I found the street I was supposed to turn on. It was a long empty dirt street with a couple dilapidated homes that were empty. What could I do? Drug lairs were never on the right side of town. My truck pulled up to house Jacob had directed me to, and this shack made his house look like Barbie's Dream House. The window were boarded up, and the mesh door at the entrance was hanging on only one hinge. Hopefully this would be quick and could get back home. If I could even call Forks home.

With my hoodie zipper pulled all the way to my chin, I grabbed some cash and shoved my bag under the seat. A fine mist of rain turned into a downpour with every step I took towards the house.

"You Bella?" A tall, shaggy face appeared in the small slot the door provided with the chain lock still in place. I hadn't even knocked but he'd have to be deaf to not hear me pull up.

"Yeah, um, Jake sent me." Biting my lip, I immediately regretted coming out, Jacob should have come with me. Shit. Quick in and out Bella, I reminded myself, finally stepping into the smelly room once the door was opened.

"Who you buying for?"

"Me." I watched as the guy slumped down on his soggy looking couch. His blonde hair was long and dirty, his nails were grimy, there was another guy asleep on the couch across the room that I couldn't really see. "How much?"

"Don't you wanna sit?"

"No, I gotta go." My hands were shoved in my hoodie pockets, holding my keychain with the mace on it. "How much?"

His teeth were yellowed, or whatever teeth he had left, because one of his front teeth was gone. "I'm James…you sure you don't want to hang out. It's raining pretty hard out there. You can chill until it lets up a little."

James stood up and approached me, and inside my hoodie pocket I gripped my mace. "No, I gotta get going, I can drive fine in the rain."

"Relax!" His stupid broken smile wasn't helping. I had my own share of shady run-ins in Phoenix and didn't make a habit of making runs alone. I was a tough chick, but even I knew when I couldn't handle things alone, after all I was still a 17 year old girl.

"Look, do you have my shit or not?"

"Fine." James left the room in a huff, down a hallway, leaving me alone with the sleeping man on the couch. The ugly floral wallpaper was peeling in spots, the room smelled like pee, and there was a huge leak on the ceiling shaped like Texas. I wanted to get out of there fast. When James reappeared he sat down and placed some baggies and vials on a wobbly coffee table. "The weed is 20, James special for you, the dust is 20. The oxies and vicodins are 20, each."

"Okay." He was overcharging me for the pills, fuck it, I shoved the four 20 dollar bills on the table and grabbed my purchases. "Thanks."

"Hey, hey, hey." I was three steps from the door when James grabbed my wrist. "Not so fast."

"Don't touch me." He twisted my arm back and pulled me up to his chest. "Stop, let me go."

"There's a service charge for rush orders honey."

"Fuck off, let me go!" He had wrapped his arms around my waist tight, and the more I squirmed, the tighter his grip became on me. "Get the fuck off me!"

"Oh come on, you don't wanna have a little fun baby?"

My legs were thrashing when he kissed hard on my lips. I wanted to kick him in his balls, but he had a height advantage that had my feet actually dangling. Instinctively, I reacted, wrapping my legs around his waist and heaving my weight on him. His entire body swayed back and he crashed onto to the table with me on top of him. The landing was hard, and I heard a whoosh from his breath leaving his lungs, this was when his hands flew wide open. That was my cue to run. I let out a blood curdling scream, hoping somebody could hear me, and I scrambled for the door.

Luckily my legs cooperated, but right as I hit the door, something grabbed at my ankles and knocked me to the ground. I landed hard on my knees and was being dragged back inside by somebody else. When I finally managed to flip myself over, there was another man dragging me inside, the sleeping man from the couch.

Fear surged through me, my adrenaline rush cut short by the pain throbbing from my knees and my scraped palms.

By the time the darker, stockier man from the couch dragged me into the middle of the room, James had regained his breath. And his anger.

"Hold her down!" James growled.

I screamed and thrashed my arms and legs in a futile attempt to pry myself loose. The other man struggled for a moment, slamming me body down awkwardly, and bashing the side of my head against a foot of the table. My vision blurred and another sharp pain shot through my temple. I couldn't hear anything anymore because of the loud ringing in my ear. My eyes blinked as James spoke, but I heard nothing still, and he laughed at something the other guy said as he held my shoulders down forcefully.

My hoodie was being tugged off when my vision blurred even harder. I thanked whatever luck I had left that I would be passed out for whatever was about to happen to me.

There was a loud crash and I felt the hands holding me down let go. I could hear glass shattering and footsteps all around me when my vision finally became a little clearer. The man from the couch was slumped down in the fetal position in a pool of glass. I wasn't sure if he was dead, but there was blood pouring from a gash in his arm where a huge chunk of glass stuck out, stained in more blood. The table by my head shook again, and I saw him.

Edward had James pinned up against the wall by his neck, both his hands squeezing tightly.

"Bella, run!" he roared so loud that I leapt up from the floor and ran for my truck. Somehow I got my hands to turn the key and rev the engine. I put the gear in drive, but realized that Edward was inside the house. I shoved the gear back into park and scrambled back to the house.

"Edward!" I shouted into the room, not wanting to step in, but I could hear more fighting and crashing in the kitchen. James was cursing and I heard Edward's grunts. "Edward!"

"Get out of here Bella!"

"No!" Whatever courage was left in me surged and I launched myself towards the kitchen. James was on the floor with utter terror on his face, looking up at Edward, who was holding up the refrigerator over his head. "Fuck, Edward, stop!"

"Get out of here Bella!"

"Stop!" I was completely unable to take my eyes off the look on James' face. Horror, fear, there wasn't a word to describe it. "Edward!"

"Bella…" Edwards' voice came like velvet again, but he still held the huge refrigerator over his head.

"Edward, please."

The fridge creaked and the door split off of the unit when it was flung against the wall. In less than an instant we were back in my truck. Edward had me on his lap while he roared my truck into drive. Finally the house became smaller and smaller behind us I wrapped my arms around his neck. Not caring that his skin was so hard and cold it made me shiver. Not caring that I was crying and my poor truck was sputtering at its sad top speed.

I don't know how long it was before truck pulled over, when Edward peeled my arms from his neck and placed me in the seat next to him.

"Are you hurt?" his ice cold hands were all over my body. "Are you hurt?!"

"No." My crying had slowed to those embarrassing hiccup cries. Edward asked me again, shouting if I was hurt, sending me into another fit of tears.

"Bella I'm so sorry." He was holding me to his hard chest, stroking my hair as I got the crying out of my system. "I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner, I'm so sorry."

"What were you doing there?" I sounded like I had swallowed gravel when I finally spoke. Glued to his chest, inhaling his scent, I felt safe.

"Your head got pretty bumped up. Are you bleeding?"

"No." A loud sigh escaped me and my brain reeled at what had just occurred. Somehow, Edward knew where I was, and that I was in danger. He almost smashed James with a refrigerator, and probably killed the other man, and saved my life. "You saved my life."

"You're still hurt."

"How did you know where I was? How did you get there? Why?"

"You need to get home, the Chief will be there soon."

"Okay." I was too tired to argue, my head was pounding and my entire body hurt. Moving away from his chest I laid over on the seat.

"No sleeping." Edward pulled me back upright and pulled the hair off my face. "Stay away for a little, in case you have a concussion."

"I'm fine." But I wasn't. Positive that I didn't have a concussion but, I was in a lot of pain. I peeled off my hoodie and inspected the rug burn that went from my palms and down the side of my forearms. A hiss escaped when I pulled my jeans up over my bloody knees. They were scraped and bleeding and already purple bruises were forming. I'd have to hide this from Charlie. It would be kind of hard to explain why I looked like I'd gotten into a bar brawl on a Monday afternoon.

"How are you feeling?" Edward was watching me inspect my knees instead of the road. "Are you dizzy? Disoriented?"

"I'll survive." My knees burned like hell, and my palms were still throbbing and hot from the slight rug burn they got when I was dragged across the carpet. The reminder of the event got my heart beating faster. I don't know how he knew it, but Edward pulled me close to him and held me tight to his side. "You're pretty fucking strong."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, I've heard of people having super-human abilities during adrenaline rushes…" Holding a double-door refrigerator over one's head was a little more than super-human. "But that was something else."

Edward said nothing and released his arm from around me. He clenched his jaw and held my poor steering wheel so tight I was afraid he would break it right off.

"Thanks again. You're like my hero. A real Prince Charming."

"No I'm not." His buttery voice was comforting even with the negativity his words carried. "I'm far from that."

"Hey, listen." I jabbed my finger into his side for him to look at me. "You saved me back there. Who knows what would have happened if you didn't show up. You did a good thing. Why are you acting like you did something wrong?"

"I'm not good Bella." The sporadic passing of homes signaled our approach into Forks. "I almost killed him. If you hadn't come back…"

"But you didn't."

"I totally lost control. I don't know what I would have done. I'm sorry you had to see that."

'Ugh, I'm so confused!" I really was confused. With everything that had just happened, I was more concerned over what the hell Edward was talking about, rather than my throbbing head and seared knees. Frustrated, I punched him as hard as I could on his arm, only sending more shooting pain through my knuckles. "Ouch, fuck, shit!" His arm was rock solid, I'd have another bruise with that.

"Bella, I'm not what you think." Edward's glare was intoxicating and menacing. I felt my throat tighten out of the fearful instinct I was still running on. "I saved you from one evil, but you're still not safe."

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be."

**A/N: Next chapter will be EPOV. Enjoy, reviews inspire me, and spread the word! Love…**

**Currently Listening To:**

**Half a Person – The Smiths**

**Just – Radiohead**

**Even So – Rachel Yamagata**


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